Abstract: Passage through LINACs of electron bunches in their acceleration phase is coordinated with passage through the LINACs of electron bunches in their deceleration phase. Each successive pair of electron bunches are spaced in time by a respective bunch spacing, in accordance with a repeating electron bunch sequence. The electron source provides clearing gaps in the electron bunch sequence to allow clearing of ions at the undulator. The electron source provides the clearing gaps in accordance with a clearing gap sequence such that, for each of the plurality of energy recovery LINACS, and for substantially all of the clearing gaps: for each passage of the clearing gap through the LINAC in an acceleration phase or deceleration phase the clearing gap is coordinated with a further one of the clearing gaps passing through the LINAC in a deceleration phase or acceleration phase thereby to maintain energy recovery operation of the LINAC.

Abstract: An immersion lithography apparatus comprises a temperature controller configured to adjust a temperature of a projection system, a substrate and a liquid towards a common target temperature. Controlling the temperature of these elements and reducing temperature gradients may improve imaging consistency and general lithographic performance. Measures to control the temperature may include controlling the immersion liquid flow rate and liquid temperature, for example, via a feedback circuit.

Abstract: Devices and methods for generating EUV light are disclosed. The device comprises an oscillator having an oscillator cavity length, Lo, and defining an oscillator path and a multi-pass optical amplifier coupled with the oscillator to establish a combined optical cavity including the oscillator path, the combined cavity having a length, Lcombined, where Lcombined=(N+x)*Lo, where “N” is an integer and “x” is a number between 0.4 and 0.6. The amplifier comprises a polarization discriminating optic inputting light traveling along a first beam path from the oscillator and having substantially a first linear polarization into the amplifier and outputting light having substantially a linear polarization orthogonal to the first polarization out of the amplifier along a second beam path.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an alignment sensor including a self-referencing interferometer for reading the position of a mark including a periodic structure. An illumination optical system focuses radiation of different colors and polarizations into a spot which scans said structure. Multiple position-dependent signals are detected in a detection optical system and processed to obtain multiple candidate position measurements. Each mark includes sub-structures of a size smaller than a resolution of the optical system. Each mark is formed with a positional offset between the sub-structures and larger structures that is a combination of both known and unknown components. A measured position of at least one mark is calculated using signals from a pair of marks, together with information on differences between the known offsets, in order to correct for said unknown component of said positional offset.

Abstract: A new way of drying and/or wetting a surface, such as a top surface of a substrate, is disclosed which is useful in immersion lithography. The surface is placed under a single phase extractor and a priming liquid is delivered between the single phase extractor and the surface. The single phase extractor is only activated after the priming liquid has been provided between the single phase extractor and the surface. Priming liquid is delivered to the single phase extractor during the whole of the drying and/or wetting process.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed where at least part of a space between a projection system of the apparatus and a substrate is filled with a liquid by a liquid supply system. The projection system is separated into two separate physical parts. With substantially no direct connection between the two parts of the projection system, vibrations induced in a first of the two parts by coupling of forces through the liquid filling the space when the substrate moves relative to the liquid supply system affects substantially only the first part of the projection system and not the other second part.

Abstract: An injector arrangement for providing an electron beam. The injector arrangement comprises a first injector for providing electron bunches, and a second injector for providing electrons bunches. The injector arrangement is operable in a first mode in which the electron beam comprises electron bunches provided by the first injector only and a second mode in which the electron beam comprises electron bunches provided by the second injector only.

Abstract: A movable stage system is configured to support an object subjected to a lithography process. A short stroke part (SS) is configured to support the object (W) and a long stroke part (LS) is configured to support the short stroke part. The short stroke part is movable over a relative small range of movement with respect to the long stroke part. The long stroke part is movable over a relative large range of movement with respect to a base support arranged to support the long stroke part. A shielding element (SE) is arranged between the short and long stroke parts. A position control system (PCS) maintains a substantially constant distance between the shielding element and the short stroke part.

Abstract: A patterning device, for use in forming a marker on a substrate by optical projection, the patterning device including a marker pattern having a density profile that is periodic with a fundamental spatial frequency corresponding to a desired periodicity of the marker to be formed. The density profile is modulated (such as sinusoidally) so as to suppress one or more harmonics of the fundamental frequency, relative to a simple binary profile having the fundamental frequency.

Abstract: A spectral purity filter includes a body of material, through which a plurality of apertures extend. The apertures are arranged to suppress radiation having a first wavelength and to allow at least a portion of radiation having a second wavelength to be transmitted through the apertures. The second wavelength of radiation is shorter than the first wavelength of radiation. The body of material is formed from a material having a bulk reflectance of substantially greater than or equal to 70% at the first wavelength of radiation. The material has a melting point above 1000° C.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed that includes an imprint template holder configured to hold an imprint template, and a dispensing mechanism of polar molecules, wherein the dispensing mechanism of polar molecules is configured to provide polar molecules into a local environment in the vicinity of the imprint template, such that the concentration of polar molecules in the local environment in the vicinity of the imprint template is greater than the concentration of polar molecules in other parts of the lithographic apparatus.

Abstract: A CMOS image sensor has a pixel array provided with a plurality of unit pixels arranged in a matrix shape of rows and columns. Each of the unit pixels includes a photocharge generation means for generating photocharges by absorbing an external light; and a sensing node for receiving the photocharges transferred from the photocharge generation means, wherein the sensing node of the unit pixel in a previous scan line is shared with a sensing node of a unit pixel in a current scan line in response to a line select signal of the current line.

Abstract: A multi-stage system includes a stator including a plurality of electric coils; a first stage including a first magnet assembly, the first stage moveable relative to the stator; a second stage including a second magnet assembly, the second stage moveable relative to the stator; a controller configured to position the first and the second stage relative to the stator by activating, respectively, a first subset of the plurality of electric coils to interact with the first magnet assembly and a second subset of the plurality of electric coils to interact with the second magnet assembly, the controller adapted to prevent at least one electric coil, to be simultaneously shared by the first and the second subset to position the first and the second stage on the stator, from activating.

Abstract: An immersion lithography apparatus has a controller configured to control a substrate table to move along an exposure route including in order: an entry motion in which the substrate moves from an off-substrate position at which the immersion space does not overlap the substrate to an on-substrate position at which the immersion space at least partially overlaps the substrate, a transfer motion in which the substrate table changes speed and/or direction and moves for at least a transfer time after the substrate moves to the on-substrate position, and an expose motion in which the substrate is scanned and the patterned beam is projected onto the substrate, wherein throughout the transfer motion at least a part of the immersion space overlaps the substrate and wherein the patterned beam is not projected onto the substrate during the entry motion and the transfer motion.

Abstract: A sensor system to measure a physical quantity, the system including a parallel detection arrangement with multiple detectors to allow measurements in parallel at different spatial locations, wherein the multiple detectors share a noise source, wherein the sensor system is configured such that the multiple detectors each output a signal as a function of the physical quantity, and wherein the sensor system is configured such that at least one detector responds differently to noise originating from the shared noise source than the one or more other detectors.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an optical sensor, a movable body, a support, a deflector system, a first drive system and a second drive system. The movable body is moveable relative to the sensor. The support is for holding the sensor. The first drive system is arranged to move the movable body relative to the sensor. The second drive system is arranged to move the first drive system relative to the sensor. The second drive system is arranged to move the deflector system relative to the sensor. A disturbance is induced by a movement of the movable body. The deflector system is arranged to create a deflecting area for reflecting the disturbance away from the support.

Abstract: In an immersion lithography apparatus in which immersion liquid is supplied to a localized space, the space is substantially polygonal in plan substantially parallel to the substrate. In an embodiment, two corners of the space have a radius of curvature no greater than the width of a transition zone between the space configured to contain liquid and a surrounding configured not to contain liquid.

Abstract: An immersion lithographic apparatus includes a projection system. The projection system is configured to project a patterned radiation beam through an immersion liquid onto a target portion of a substrate. An external surface of the projection system includes a first surface. The first surface has a non-planar shape. An element is attached to the first surface and positioned so that at least a portion of the element contacts the immersion liquid in use. The element includes a closed loop of continuously integral material in a preformed state and conforms to the non-planar shape of the first surface.

Abstract: A substrate table for an immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed having a recess, configured to receive a substrate of a given size, and a fluid extraction system, configured to extract fluid from a gap between the edge of the substrate and the edge of the recess, the fluid extraction system configured such that the rate of flow of fluid extracted from a localized section of the gap is greater than the rate of flow of fluid extracted from another section of the gap.

Abstract: A lithographic process is used to form a plurality of target structures (T) on a substrate (W). Each target structure comprises overlaid gratings each having a specific overlay bias. Asymmetry (A) of each grating, measured by scatterometry, includes contributions due to (i) the overlay bias, (ii) an overlay error (OV) in the lithographic process and (iii) bottom grating asymmetry within the overlaid gratings. Asymmetry measurements are obtained for three or more target structures having three or more different values of overlay bias (e.g., ?d, 0, +d). Knowing the three different overlay bias values and a theoretical curve relationship between overlay error and asymmetry, overlay error (OV) can be calculated while correcting the effect of bottom grating asymmetry. Bias schemes with three and four different biases are disclosed as examples. Gratings with different directions and biases can be interleaved in a composite target structure.